Electronics

Electronics is a branch of physics, engineering and technology dealing with electrical circuits that involve active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies. The nonlinear behaviour of active components and their ability to control electron flows makes amplification of weak signals possible and electronics is widely used in information processing, telecommunication, and signal processing.

History

The history of electronics began to evolve separately from that of electricity late in the 19th century with the identification of the electron by J. J. Thomson and the invention of the vacuum tube by John Ambrose Fleming. It was not until the invention of the transistor in 1947 and the integrated circuit in 1958 that the field of electronics began to fully mature.

Electronic Devices and Components

An electronic component is any physical entity in an electronic system used to affect the electrons or their associated fields in a manner consistent with the intended function of the electronic system. Components are generally intended to be connected together, usually by being soldered to a printed circuit board (PCB), to create an electronic circuit with a particular function (for example an amplifier, radio receiver, or oscillator).

Electronic Systems

Electronic systems are used to perform a wide range of tasks. The main uses of electronic circuits are the controlling, processing and distribution of information, and the conversion and distribution of electric power. Both of these uses involve the creation of electronic circuits.

See Also

• Electrical Engineering
• Integrated Circuit
• Transistor
• Diode
• Vacuum Tube

References

Electronics Resources
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